Thursday

BEREA — Steve Wilks' path to a successful run as Browns defensive coordinator will become less cluttered if he can maximize the talent of top-five draft picks Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward.

They made the Pro Bowl last season but possess the potential to achieve more.

Garrett, the No. 1 overall selection in 2017, finished seventh in the NFL last season with 13.5 sacks.

"I'm excited about working with him and trying to really get him to that next level," Wilks said Thursday during his introductory news conference at Browns headquarters.

"When you look at a player of his caliber, being the first overall draft pick, and his talent, it's really trying to get to that All-Pro status and that consistently week in and week out. I think he has the traits and the ability to be a dominant player at this level, but we're looking for that consistency."

Last year, Browns General Manager John Dorsey urged Garrett to study film of nine-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers, who played for Wilks in 2017 when he was the defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers. Wilks may be able to lure Peppers, who recently retired, to Browns training camp this summer for some tutoring sessions with Garrett.

"That's always a possibility," said Wilks, whom the Arizona Cardinals recently fired after he went 3-13 in his lone season as their head coach.

Garrett is a freakish athlete who's as gifted as any player Wilks has ever been around.

"Very athletic, very fluid, quick off the ball, great skill set," Wilks said. "I was very excited when I started watching tape [about] his ability to anchor and play the run. A lot of times you get guys with that skill set and it's just a mindset of really trying to get after the quarterback.

"This is a pass-happy league, but there's nothing more demoralizing to a defense than having a team run the ball down your throat. That's one thing we've got to pride ourselves in is stopping the run first, and I think he does a great job doing that. We've just got to continue to add to his repertoire for his pass rush."

As for Ward, Wilks said the Nordonia High School graduate and fourth overall pick in last year's draft "still has a lot of things to learn and grow into as far as understanding the game."

One of those lessons is centered on tackling more safely. Last year, former Browns interim coach and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams repeatedly stressed the diminutive Ward needs to strike opponents lower while tackling them. Ward suffered two concussions in a span of three weeks in December and didn't play in the season finale.

"We want to make sure that we're teaching tackling the right way," said Wilks, whose NFL resume includes 12 seasons as a defensive backs coach. "I believe [in] being aggressive, setting a tone on the defensive side of the ball, but we've got to make sure that he can maintain 16-plus games throughout the year. So we've got to teach him the right way."

Good coaching could certainly elevate a young, promising roster stocked mostly by Dorsey, and Wilks said the personnel of the Browns made joining them "a no-brainer." He had other opportunities this offseason but scheduled his interview with the Browns first because he hoped to secure the gig despite lacking a previous relationship with Dorsey or new head coach Freddie Kitchens.

"You've got to look beyond the defensive side of the ball, and you can't win in this league if you don't have a quarterback and we have a quarterback [in Baker Mayfield]," Wilks said. "Not only do we have one, but we have one that I consider to be, from my studying, the things I learned from him coming out of college, he's an alpha male.

"He affects not only the offensive side of the ball but this team, and that was very attractive coming here. When you look at Myles, when you look at Ward, you look at [strong safety Jabrill] Peppers, young players that I think can have a major impact on the defensive side of the ball, it's very exciting."

Wilks, 49, figures the quality of the roster will only improve with Dorsey in charge, and they'll look to support Garrett and Ward with key acquisitions this offseason.

"This is a pass-happy league, and it's about scoring," Wilks said. "So you need guys that can get to the quarterback and most importantly you need guys that can cover."

Will he attempt to recruit some free agents who have played for him in the past?

"We're going to try to get every player we can that's going to be able to help us win a world championship," Wilks replied. "If that's really tapping into some of my previous resources, friendships and things like that, I'll definitely do it."

For the returning Browns defenders, Wilks doesn't expect them to experience a major adjustment as they transition to his system because, like Williams, he runs an aggressive, 4-3 base defense. The terminology will be the main difference.

Under Williams' guidance, the Browns ranked 30th in yards allowed (393) and 21st in points given up (24.5) per game last year. In Wilks' only season as an NFL defensive coordinator in 2017, the Panthers ranked seventh in yards allowed (317.1) and tied for 10th in points surrendered (20.4) a game.

The performance of the Panthers defense two years ago led Wilks to his first head coaching job in the league. Asked about being one-and-done in Arizona, Wilks said he would have liked more time to prove himself with the Cardinals, but conceded they simply didn't win enough during his brief tenure.

"So [being fired by the Cardinals after only one season] doesn't give me any more motivation. I'm about trying to be the best that I can be at my craft, and I want to try to make this defense the best in the National Football League."

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his Browns coverage at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ByNateUlrich and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.

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